


Scarves Of Red

by mvernet



Category: Hogan's Heroes
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Inspired by Music, Song Lyrics, Songfic, blizzard, winter theme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-14 22:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13017510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvernet/pseuds/mvernet
Summary: Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau are on a simple mission to pick up needed medical supplies. A winter storm has each man using their own unique talents to survive.





	Scarves Of Red

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the song White Winter Hymnal
> 
> White Winter Hymnal, Performed by Pentatonix
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o10drRI3VQ0
> 
> Original Fleet Foxes Music Video
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQRS40OKNE
> 
> Referenced: A Hundred Inuit words for snow
> 
> http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/varia/snow.html

The mission was simple but important. Just a midnight drop off of penicillin by a lone plane from London. It had been said that this was the worst winter this part of Germany had seen in thirty years. It snowed every night for the past two weeks, but luckily on the night of the bomber’s moon, the solid gray cover of winter sky had diffused enough for stars to peek through the fast moving patches of clouds and allow travel by moonlight.

Fearful of the ravages of influenza turned to pneumonia at Stalag Thirteen, Colonel Hogan had requested a shipment of penicillin and other winter medical supplies. London had to wait for the weather to clear. A plane was finally allowed to fly out that night, and the Colonel reluctantly sent LeBeau, Carter and Newkirk out into the forest and the three feet of snow surrounding the camp.

Hogan was unusually nervous about sending the trio out. He had a bad feeling about the silent, pristine, landscape outside the barbed wire fences. The forest was beautiful and peaceful, like Christmas in Connecticut. His team was smiling, eager, not at all worried about the handicap nature had handed them. But it was Hogan’s job to worry.

Kinch came down from the barracks, his hair glistening with melting white. In his hands were a thick wool overcoat and three red knitted scarves. His mom had sent a whole box of the scarves through the Red Cross. They were handmade with lots of love for Christmas by the Detroit branch of the Baptist Ladies Auxiliary.

“Hate to tell you guys, but another blizzard is moving in. You’ll still have time to meet the plane before it really starts to howl. But I would hurry back.” Kinch helped LeBeau into his overcoat that fell to below LeBeau’s knees. Then handed Newkirk and LeBeau a scarf and flung one around Carter’s neck. “Don’t stop to make snowmen, Andrew.”

“Geezo Peezo, Kinch! Wadda ya take me for? Everyone knows you have to wait for the snow to stop snowing before you built a snowman. Otherwise he’ll be buried by more snow and be a snow blob.”

Hogan chuckled, “Spoken like a true northern boy. But Kinch is right. Make it quick. I don’t want to have to rescue three snow blobs. Get going and… good luck guys.”

The three soldiers from different armies called back promises to be quick, careful and to come home safe. Kinch chaffed a bit at being left behind, but aside from the stormy conditions it was a simple pick up. Always curious about his Colonel’s reasoning, he asked, “Sir? Why send all three?”

Hogan threw an arm over Kinch’s shoulder. “Carter because he knows about winter maneuvers and winter survival, Newkirk to keep them on course, on time and heading in the right direction.”

“Hum. Interesting reasoning. What about LeBeau?”

“If something goes wrong, LeBeau would persevere and do anything to bring the other two back safely.”

Kinch chuckled low and deep. “That’s why you wear the Colonel’s hat, Sir.”

~~~HH~~~

It was slow going over the faint trail they used to get to the clearing where the plane would drop its package. Carter took the point, cautiously plowing a path for the others with his lower body. Newkirk walked behind Carter and LeBeau took the rear as they trudged through the three feet of lightly packed powdered snow. 

Carter didn’t have the extra breath to talk, but turned to smile at Newkirk now and then who offered a silent thumbs up. Newkirk glanced here and there unnerved by the utter silence of the forest, making sure they were going in the right direction. LeBeau had it the easiest as his two taller friends tramped down the snow in front of him. 

As he walked, he felt an odd sense of wellbeing. He was in a dangerous situation, but the snow was keeping everything including the Germans out of the weather and out of their hair. He appreciated Carter’s path and Newkirk’s due diligence. He felt somehow warm and safe, despite the cold nipping at his fingers and toes. He hunkered down into the wooly overcoat Kinch had loaned him and snuggled into the fine red scarf Kinch’s mother had gifted him with. The scarf had a faint smell of vanilla, cinnamon and home.

The mission was a success. After signaling the plane with their flashlight a package was dropped lightly into the snow. Carter got a chance to catch his breath as Newkirk faced the drifts around the clearing to retrieve the package.

Carter and LeBeau waited anxiously when Newkirk disappeared for a moment in the ocean of white before them. The moon was lighting the clearing with a soft glow making it easy to see each others concerned red-cheeked faces. But Newkirk popped up a moment later, covered in snow, package in hand and a goofy grin on his face. He followed his own path back and sat exhausted next to Carter on a old tree stump LeBeau had uncovered for his friends to rest on.

The Frenchman wasn’t weary and not all that cold. He realized since Carter had put him at the back of the line he hadn’t felt the blustery wind or exerted himself like the others. He didn’t like feeling useless on a mission, but he shrugged it off. He had good friends who did not want him to suffer. That warmed him even more.

The wind kicked up and a flurry of snow swirled around them. Carter looked straight at the moon. “A new arm of the storm is moving in fellas. Looks like a doozy. Temp’s gonna drop once the moon is covered with clouds. We better get going.”

Carter stood on his trembling legs, stamping to warm them. Newkirk clutched the package of supplies to his chest, His teeth chattering and body shaking. “Y… y… yeah, m...mates. I need to start m… movin’. It’s colder than Hoch… Hochstetter’s heart out here. Let’s go.”

LeBeau was worried by Newkirk’s shivers. He noticed Carter was worried too. LeBeau reached for the package so Newkirk could put his hands in his pockets, but Newkirk refused.

“Louis, I got this m… mate. Just a bit b...b… brisk out. No worries.”

They trudged back along the path Carter had forged earlier. The wind began to howl and their breath froze on their red scarves. After an hour, Carter held up a hand and stopped. Newkirk bumped right into him and fell into the snow like a kid wanting to make a snow angel. LeBeau scrambled to help him up. He had dropped the package and his red scarf fell from his neck. As LeBeau pulled at Newkirk, for some unknown reason an old song from the French Revolution that his Maman taught him popped into his head. He translated it instantly from French to English and sang in a whisper.

And I turned 'round and there you go  
And, Pierre, you would fall  
And turn the white snow red as strawberries  
In the summertime

LeBeau shook his head at himself. What a time to think of an old round. And the name wasn’t quite right. He recalled that the children always changed the name to the youngest or smallest child in the group. Louis took many a turn at falling in the musical snow. He never imagined he’d be in a real German forest trudging through several feet of it. But the name Pierre certainly fit the current situation.

“Sorry Newkirk!” Carter yelled over the wind. “I wanted to get to my pack. I’ve got some rope. I think we better tie it around our waists. To keep us together. It’s getting harder to find the path. I’ll have to use the flashlight. Is that okay with you guys?”

LeBeau answered, “Oui, Andre’. But I think Pierre is having a hard time of it.”

Carter turned his flashlight on and aimed it at his friend. 

“Oh, damn.”

Newkirk had wrapped arms around himself and shivered violently. His threadbare coat, moth eaten gloves and thin cap was no match for the unforgiving blizzard.

Le Beau was shocked that Carter had cursed. “We gotta stop a minute and help him warm up a little, LeBeau. He’s unresponsive. It looks like snow sickness, ummm, hypo-thermia is setting in. I should have noticed his coat was too thin. He takes such good care of our winter clothes, I never thought to check his.”

“What do we do, Andre’?”

Carter took Newkirk by the arm. ”Grab the package, Louis.”

Carter led Newkirk and LeBeau a short way away to a stand of pines where the snow wasn't as dense. He brushed the snow away from the base of a big fir and unearthed a fairly dry spot. He sat Newkirk down and quickly exchanged hat, gloves and coat. He unwound his red scarf and wrapped it around Newkirk’s upper neck and face. All the while the storm continued to rage.

“LeBeau we have to get him warm with our body heat. I’ll lean against the tree with him in my lap, you… well… hug him from the front. We need to warm his core. We get his temperature up and he should be fine.”

LeBeau put aside any embarrassed comments he could have made and marvelled at the note of authority in Carter’s voice. “Yes, Sir.”

Carter suddenly was back to himself. “Oh, boy. I’m never gonna hear the end of this. Cuddling in the woods with you two. I’ll never live it down.”

“Do not worry, Andre'. I will not tell anyone!”

They arranged themselves around Newkirk. Carter fussed with Newkirk’s scarves making sure every inch of exposed skin was covered. Newkirk began to respond, moaning and mumbling.

LeBeau hugged his friend closer and rubbed heat into whatever part he could reach. “Pierre. Shhhhhhhh. Everything is going to be fine. Listen, mon pote. I will sing you a song.”

I was following the pack  
All swallowed in their coats  
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats  
To keep their little heads  
From fallin' in the snow  
And I turned 'round and there you go  
And, Pierre, you would fall  
And turn the white snow red as strawberries  
In the summertime

Carter smiled. “That’s a funny song. Sounds a little gruesome, but makes me think of summer back home in the middle of this blizzard.”

“My Maman taught it to us children. It is a round. You wish to learn it?”

Carter nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! I love to sing rounds.”

“Good. Now listen to the words…”

A little while later, Carter got the hang of it and was singing his part like a French schoolboy. Newkirk began to stir.

“Cor. Blimey. I go to sleep for a tick and you too start a bloomin’ sing-a long!”

LeBeau chuckled. “Feeling warmer, mon pote?”

Newkirk realized what his friends had done for him and said quietly, “Yeah. Thanks, mates. I thought I was a goner for a moment there. Couldn’t make out which way was up or down. Felt like my very ‘eart was freezin’ inside of me chest. I’m alright now.”

Carter began to rise, letting go of his friend with a pat on his back. The warmth and companionship had helped him too. He was ready to head back to camp.

Carter looked around at the still silent woods. They would have no trouble with patrols tonight. “It’s not letting up but the wind has died down. It’s just gonna snow and snow and snow accumulating maybe another six or seven inches till it blows itself out. The Inuit tribes, ya know, Eskimos? They have lots names for different kinds of snow. This stuff is like the fine sugar on a donut.”

His friends smiled and exchanged knowing glances. Carter was in his element here and they were both glad he was with them.

Newkirk, feeling much better just had to tease. “Eskimos eat a lot of donuts, aye?”

Carter shook his head and chuckled at his Cockney friend. “No, silly. I made that one up. But let’s see, there is; powdered snow, drifting snow, still snow, remembered snow, forgotten snow, snow in your beard...

Carter continued his litany as he got out his rope and tied them together loosely at the waist. He adjusted Newkirk’s threadbare gear on his own body and shivered. Newkirk began to protest that he didn’t need Carter’s coat, hat, scarf and gloves but stopped when he noticed Carter had stopped reciting snow names and was looking at Newkirk with ice blue determination in his eyes. LeBeau smiled to himself, silently vowing to keep a close eye on both his friends, and picked up the precious package of medicine. Carter clicked on his flashlight and led his friends back to the path he plowed earlier.

They walked in silence again. Newkirk seemed fine wrapped in Carter’s worn but warm leather flight jacket. LeBeau grew concerned as Carter slowed his pace and shivered.

“Andre’! Let’s sing the round I taught you. It will amuse Pierre.”

Carter smiled and nodded as LeBeau began.

I was following. I was following. I was following.

Carter joined in and off they went. Newkirk, chuckling and getting the words wrong soon got them right and lent his own voice, making it a musical triple round. The three different accents blending beautifully.

I was following the pack  
All swallowed in their coats  
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats  
To keep their little heads  
From fallin' in the snow  
And I turned 'round and there you go  
And, Pierre, you would fall  
And turn the white snow red as strawberries  
In the summertime

LeBeau was relieved when his friends perked up and their pace quickened to a march in time with the beat of the song. They would soon be home. They sang quietly, but their voices filled the glistening white shadows around them. A deer, curled up under a tree in slumber twitched an ear at the melodic sound. The rounds tumbled through the storm like the voices of the ancient ghosts of fallen soldiers. But these soldiers were alive and well because of a common goal and an uncommon friendship.


End file.
